First off.. take your time. Don't jump into anything too quickly before you learn what you're gonna do.
Second. Go read all the automotive articles on
http://www.howstuffworks.com That'll give you the most basic information about cars.
Third. Learn as much as you can through these boards, and others like it.
Fourth. Get with some 240 people in your area. Make them your best friends. You'll learn more from them, and get a lot of experience by helping them with their cars.
Fifth.. don't give up! We all start from somewhere. Don't let anyone intimidate you... and always use the search button(In every message board you visit)
Others will give you more advice, but I think that about covers the basics.